What is "space" and "spatial technologies"?

Question

I'm doing a Stage 1 Geography course and I am really confused about the term "space" which they use over and over again without definition.

The course themes include:
1. Effects of changes in technlogy on the spaces we live and work in
2. Effects of changes in space on society and its geography and spatial processes
3. How the above changes affect our view of what space is and how it acts on us

Spatial processes? Space acting on us? And what are spatial technlogies? Can anyone explain to me what space is? Suddenly this simple word seem to have so much hidden meaning..

Answer 1

Okay, "space" is just an updated word for "geography". Geography is supposed to be the study of a variety of things concurrent with the location and shape of 1) land features such as continents, rivers, mountains, 2) environmental life, and 3) national boundaries. Such other matters include population density, language, agriculture, industry, etc. Now that we have computers, things are analyzed more mathematically, like doing weather forecasting through computer models, and, as with weather forecasting simulation, the actual space in geometrical terms becomes especially important, such as the exact boundaries of fertile valley that's surrounded by forest or desert. So, here are some examples, starting with 1.

1) Alaska is a huge space, all right. But with the advent of bush airplanes, suddenly the population distribution in Alaska has changed dramatically, with supplies available at almost any point in Alaska instead of only along accesible dogsled routes. Technology can impact the use or nature of geographical spaces.

2) Industrialization in the 1800s forced high urban densities because people moved to where the jobs are, before mass transportation became available. A "spatial process" is the cause-and-effect of how changes occur to spaces, such as with this example.

3) The advent of interstate freeways and mass produced cars produced urban sprawl, allowing nuclear families ownership of detached homes on small plots of land, leading to a "Leave It To Beaver" society, a profound change in society's perception of what family life should be like. Again, the interplay between living spaces and the spatial processes that cause changes in them can result in changes in the attitudes of the society.

These are just some examples. But it's nevertheless old wine in new bottles, this is what geographical studies used to be about. They've come up with new names to emphasize that it's being analyzed more rigorously now, with lots of computer modeling and statistics.

Answer 2

One view of space is that it is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a set of dimensions in which objects are separated and located, have size and shape, and through which they can move.

According to general relativity, 'space' is just another name for the gravitational field of the universe. As such, we stand in relation to space what photons of light stand in relation to the electromagnetic field. Space is just another physical field in nature, and at its smallest scales, it dissolves away into some kind of quantum 'haze' where our ideas of time and space no longer have much meaning

Since you are doing Geography course, I think the term "space" is related to the physical features (roads, building, soil, rivers, etc) or natural phenomen (earthquake, environmental pollution,etc) or events (crime, accident, landslide, etc)upon the surface of the earth. These features ae called spatial features.

The technologies related to study, analysis, processing, modeling, simulation, visualisation, capturing of the above spatial features are called the spatial technologies (for example, GIS, GPS, Satellite Imaging, RADAR imaging, Total Station, Aerial Photography, etc).